Originally Posted by
ZipZop
A very small world indeed. When I was living in Upstate NY, back in the 80s, the cable TV system there had their own Microwave link from New York City, and microwaved up from the city WQXR Classical NY, and pumped it into the FM specturm so you could listen with an FM tap tied to your tuner or receiver. Long before the internet or streaming. WQXR broadcasted form the Empire State Building and was called "The Radio Station of the NY Times" back then. I was addicted to listening that station for a few years. They would play Classical music, then the DJs would actually read key articles from The New York Times over the air. Literally, just read articles from the paper on the air. It sounds odd, but it was wonderful. You got to hear great Classical music, and "listen" to the NY Times articles at the same time, without having to buy a NY Times.
I know Bruce Oscar and Al Carter-Bey from WDCB Chicago. Remotely, not well. They are two of my favorite Jazz DJs. I know Glen Woodcock from CJRT Toronto fairly well, and we have had a pending "Dinner Date" to catch up for years. Covid got in the way of that. I know of few other Jazz DJs remotely from WUCF and KCSM.
I would like to get to know Ted Grossman at WLRN Miami a bit better. Ted is a vintage Jazz aficionado. He's been doing his show almost as long as Glen Woodcock at CJRT. Since 1978 ish? Something like that. Every Sunday from 8 to midnight eastern. Like you, he only plays his personal private collection. And it's astounding, along with his Jazz knowledge. He will sometimes play a very obscure live remote Jazz broadcast recording (or Aircheck as my Canadian friends would call it) and say how it was ultra-rare and you were probably only going to her it on his show, because it was a rare album he bought in the 50s or 60s as he was building his private Jazz collection.
Ted and Glen are obviously getting close to retirement. It will be a sad day for me when either announces their last day on the air. I have been recording Glen's show and Ted's show for many years, digitally. It's a decent archive. I'll have those shows to fall back on Sunday afternoons and evenings when they are enjoying retirement some day.
I still sometimes listen to WQXR via stream, but it's not the same station. All things change. But at least I have the memories.